A flooded river in central west NSW is expected to peak over the next 24 hours while evacuation orders remain in place for surrounding areas.
The weather bureau predicts the Lachlan River at Condobolin will peak at 7.1 metres on Wednesday, slightly lower than the previous forecast of 7.2m.
The river was predicted to swell after up to 15mm rain was predicted to hit the area on Tuesday.
The Lachlan sat at 9.5m in Forbes on Tuesday and is expected to remain at that level for the net 48 hours, NSW SES said in a video update.
More than 1000 people have been evacuated from Forbes and evacuation orders are still in place for low-lying parts of Condobolin.
The Murrumbidgee River will remain at a peak level of 8.9m into Tuesday night in Wagga Wagga, the Bureau of Meteorology predicts.
NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay visited flood-battered Forbes to assess the damage caused to the surrounding road network, with many major roads still submerged and more rain on the way.
The minister, who met with Roads and Maritime staff, has said it could take weeks to before the final damage bill is known.
Sections of the Newell Highway, which is a major thoroughfare for trucks from Brisbane to Melbourne and passes through Forbes, has suffered major damage and could be closed for weeks.
"We won't know the true extent until it dries out and we're able to inspect - the sub surface is where the major damage is happening at the moment plus too the tarmac," Mr Gay told ABC on Tuesday.
Meanwhile damaging winds reaching 100km/h have hit Sydney and the NSW coast from Newcastle to Ulladulla and winds up to 110km/h are expected to tear through the Snowy Mountains on Tuesday.
